


The Impact of Nocturnal Cohabitation on Mutual Attraction

by bransch



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: CS Fic Formal, Captain Swan - Freeform, Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal, F/M, Graduate School, Modern AU, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 00:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bransch/pseuds/bransch
Summary: Emma and Killian are graduate students working on their PhDs in Social Psychology. They are thrilled when their paper is selected to be presented at a conference, but a mishap with their hotel room throws the whole trip off. What happens when they are forced to work as a team and share a bed? Will they still be friends when it’s all over?





	The Impact of Nocturnal Cohabitation on Mutual Attraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indecisively_yours](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecisively_yours/gifts).



> This is a story written for @jennifer-morrison over on Tumblr for the CS Fic Formal. It's the longest one-shot I've ever written, and my first bed sharing fic. I had a lot of fun writing it and hope you enjoy!

“You wanted to see me?” Emma asked, standing in the door of Dr. Hopper’s office. The kind man turned his face to her and gave her a warm smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling.

“Ah, Emma, yes, come in please.” He gestured toward the other side of his desk, currently blocked from her view by the door frame.

She stepped over the threshold to see two of her cohorts already occupying his guest chairs. Although Dr. Hopper had one of the larger offices in the department, the space suddenly felt very claustrophobic.

“Swan,” Killian Jones said in his sickeningly sexy accent. He stood up and ran a hand through his dark hair, a piece of it falling on his forehead, just above his enticingly blue eyes. As always, he looked amazing, wearing dark wash jeans that were just this side of too tight, along with a black shirt that was buttoned much too low on his neckline, exposing a smattering of dark chest hair that she longed to run her fingers through. He gestured to the chair he had been occupying. “Take my seat, please. I was just keeping it warm for you.” He gave her a wink that made her stomach flip.

He was infuriating. Why was he so attractive? The man was a shameless flirt. Emma knew if she were to ever get involved with him, it would only lead to heartbreak. But it would be so much easier to avoid involvement if he wasn’t so damned good looking! Biting down her anger, she suppressed an eye roll and stood her ground. “I’m good here.”

Regina Mills, on the other hand, seemed to have no need to suppress her annoyance. She sat primly in the other chair, wearing a pencil skirt and silk blouse. Her short brown hair fell softly around her shoulders, highlighting her elegant olive skin. She looked more professional than some of the teachers in the department. She gave an exaggerated eye roll and glared at Emma. “Sit in the damn chair, Swan.”

Emma clenched her teeth and shuffled toward the chair, sitting down and placing her backpack at her feet. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Dr. Hopper. “What’s this about?”

He smiled again as his gaze traveled over his students. “I have some excellent news. The paper you three wrote has been accepted for presentation at this year’s meeting of the Society for Applied Social Psychology.”

Emma felt her face break out into a wide grin. “Really? That’s amazing!” Emma, Killian, and Regina had worked diligently together on a research project to investigate group decision making in corporate environments. The paper was still in the submission process for several academic journals, but acceptance at the conference was a very good sign. Getting published would be a boon when they began to look for work after graduating from their doctoral program.

She looked at her co-authors. Killian was leaning against a filing cabinet, his arms crossed over his chest, wearing what could only be called the textbook definition of a smirk. He met her gaze and lifted one eyebrow. She turned to Regina, who just looked bored with the entire proceedings. Was Emma the only one happy about this? Dr. Hopper cleared his throat and she returned her gaze to him.

“Now for the bad news,” he said. “We don’t have enough funding to send you all to the conference. As presenters, your admission is covered, but the university has only approved the cost for airfare for two and one room at the hotel. I thought it best to let you three decided amongst yourselves who should be attending.”

“Swan, you have to go,” Killian said without hesitation. “You did the most work on the paper and the topic is related to your dissertation.”

“And I suppose you want to attend with her so you can have an excuse to work out whatever… relationship you two have,” Regina said, waving her hand dismissively in his direction.

Emma bit back a groan. Why was everyone trying to pair her off with Killian? It’s not like they were the only two unattached people in the program. Okay, maybe they were the only two unattached in their year, but still, why couldn’t everyone just leave well enough alone? She didn’t need a boyfriend.

“I didn’t say that,” Killian quickly replied to Regina’s comment. A little too quickly. Something akin to rejection settled in Emma’s gut, and she didn’t like it at all.

“Good,” Regina replied, “because it should be me who attends with Emma. Unless,” she turned to the other woman, “you’d prefer to share a room with Captain Guyliner?”

Emma stared down at her lap, willing her cheeks to stop flushing.

“Well,” Dr. Hopper interjected, “there is a way you could all three go, if one of you opts to pay for their own flight and hotel.”

They all stared blankly at their professor for a moment, before bursting into laughter. It was common amongst their department to make jokes about how poor the graduate students were. A graduate assistantship was akin to indentured servitude. There was no way could any of them pay $1,500 to attend a conference.

Killian settled back against the filing cabinet after their shared moment of camaraderie and wiped at the corners of his eyes. The motion caused Emma to stare a moment too long at his face, and he cocked one of his ridiculously sexy eyebrows in response. (Seriously? How could eyebrows be considered sexy?) He held Emma’s gaze for a moment before shifting to look at the austere brunette. “I agree, Regina. You two should go. But I want the speaker gift you receive.”

“Deal,” she replied. “It’ll probably just be a plastic tumbler or something.”

“Well, now that’s settled, give your information to Johanna and she will get your room and flights booked.” Johanna was the Psychology department secretary, and a true treasure. The woman always had a kind word and a hug for Emma.

“Thanks Dr. Hopper,” Emma replied, standing. “I need to get to class before my students start arriving.”

She walked out of the office and toward the stairs. Her class was fortunately in the same building, although two floors up. She’d just opened the door to the stairwell when Killian caught up with her.

“Swan,” he said. He never called her by her first name, which she found both annoying and endearing.

“Jones,” she replied warily.

He blushed and looked down, which threw her. Where was his cocky swagger now? He cleared his throat and met her gaze. “I wanted to take a moment, in private, to congratulate you. That paper is amazing and you… well, you…” He trailed off and bit his lip before sucking in a deep breath and continuing. “I have every faith that you will do excellent at the conference.”

She searched his face for a lie, but saw nothing but sincerity. And it put her off her game, if she was being honest. “Yeah… thanks. Wish you could attend as well.”

“Oh, you never know,” he replied, his swagger suddenly back in full force. “I may just find a way. I’m a man of many talents.” He fixed her with a hooded gaze.

She scoffed. “I gotta go. See you around.”

“I’m counting on it,” he replied. She silently groaned and trudged up the stairs.  She really did not understand that man at all. One minute he was a cocky pirate, flirting with everything that moved, and the next he was sweet and tender, saying such beautiful and flattering things. It was enough to make her head spin. 

* * *

 

Six weeks passed after Emma got the news of their paper’s acceptance. Life went on as normal, teaching classes and working on her dissertation. Two days before they were scheduled to leave for the conference, Emma was having trouble finding Regina. No one had seen her on campus in days, and she wasn’t answering her phone. Frustrated, and also a bit worried, Emma drove to Regina’s apartment to check on her.

She and Regina weren’t friends. Far from it, in fact. But the nature of being in a small PhD program such as theirs was that everyone knew everyone else. They’d all spent time at one another’s apartments at one point, working on papers or studying for exams. Emma parked her car outside the upscale apartment building Regina lived in and made her way upstairs.

After she knocked on the door, it was opened by Regina’s sister. Zelena was not in their program, but she’d joined them for drinks enough times that she knew everyone else. She also happened to be Regina’s roommate.

“What are you doing here?” She asked by way of greeting. Emma swore the woman had less tact than a flying monkey. She also must have the most expressive face ever. The sneer she currently wore was in stark contrast to her alabaster skin, piercing blue eyes, and red hair that fell in soft waves around her face.

Emma scowled. She could tolerate Regina, but she’d never liked Zelena.

“I can’t get ahold of Regina, and we fly out for the conference the day after tomorrow.”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Emma asked. Before Zelena could answer, Emma heard the sounds of retching coming from the back of the apartment. She pushed past Zelena and marched toward the bathroom, standing in the doorway. Regina was hunched over the toilet, dry heaving. Emma looked nervously at Regina. If they were friends, she would be comforting the other woman and helping her back into bed. But, since she wasn’t sure Regina would appreciate the gesture, she hung back.

Regina’s heaving stopped and she collapsed back against the side of the bathtub. She rolled her head over to look at Emma. “Why are you here?” she groaned.

“I couldn’t get ahold of you. Seeing as how we are leaving for the conference in two days, I wanted to check in.”

“Well, as you can see, I’m not going to the conference feeling like this.” She gestured to her stomach.

“Are you pregnant?” Emma asked.

Regina scoffed. “Hell no! I have the flu.” She stood up on shaky legs and made her way to the sink, rinsing out her mouth.

“But, I can’t present on my own! I need you there.”

“You could if you really tried, but you can relax. I already told Johanna and she is transferring my plane ticket and conference registration to Killian’s name.”

“Wait… what? We only have one hotel room. I can’t share a room with Killian.”

“Calm down,” Regina said. “It’s a room with two beds. It’s not like you have to cozy up next to him.”

“Might help if you did, though,” Zelena interjected, pushing past Emma to enter the bathroom. She checked on Regina, but there was hardly any affection in her actions. Emma had a hard time understanding the dynamics of the sisters’ relationship.

“What do you mean?” she asked Zelena.

“Every time I see you two together, it’s like you’re stuck in some awkward dance. Get it over with and sleep with him. Get it out of your system.”

Emma felt a flush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “I hardly think… that’s not… no.”

“That’s it,” Regina said. “Get out of my house before you make me throw up again! You’ve got issues with Killian being there? Then talk to him! But let me rest. I can’t go to the damned conference, and I’m already pissed off about that. I don’t need to deal with your unresolved sexual tension as well.”

“Fine. Hope you feel better,” Emma said without sincerity. She knew it was wrong to be upset with Regina for this, but she couldn’t help herself. How was she going to get through three nights of sharing a room with Killian?

* * *

 

Killian willed his left leg to stop bouncing as he sat next to Emma at the gate. He couldn’t believe they were going on this trip together. Alone. He had been secretly in love with her since he first saw her at their graduate program orientation. She took his breath away, with her golden tresses falling long over her shoulders and framing her elegant face, with full cheekbones, soft lips, and captivating green eyes. He longed to run his hand along her creamy skin, to feel her breath against his neck as he held her close. Even now, four years later, he struggled to maintain his composure in her presence.

She looked up from her iPad and fixed her gaze on him, narrowing her eyes. “What’s wrong, Jones?”

“Nothing,” he lied, giving her a strained smile. “I’m fine.” He brushed an imaginary piece of lint from his pant leg.

She closed the cover of her tablet and set it in her lap, turning slightly in her chair to face him. “Have I ever told you about my super power?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning on the armrest.

He glanced at her warily, furrowing his brow. “I don’t believe I’ve had the privilege.”

She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “I can tell when someone is lying.” She lowered her chin and glared up at him. “So cut the crap and tell me what’s wrong.”

Expelling a breath, Killian ran a hand through his hair and met her gaze. He bit his lip, hesitating a moment more. She patiently waited. “Well… erm… I just… I mean…”

“Spit it out, Jones.” Her tone did not match her words, which conveyed patience and understanding.

“I don’t like flying.” He heaved a sigh once the words left his mouth. Relieved to share his burden, but also terrified of her judgement.

“Really?” she asked with raised brows. “Killian Jones, the paragon of all things cool, is afraid of air travel?”

“Don’t say that too loudly,” he chastised. “But, yes, I am afraid of flying. And I am not the ‘paragon of all things cool.’ I have no idea where you got that notion.”

She sat back in her chair and observed him. “You don’t know where I got that notion? You with your rugged good looks and cocky swagger?”

“Ah… so you think I’m good looking?” He asked, finding comfort and familiarity in their banter. His shoulders relaxed and he cocked one eyebrow, giving her a smirk.

“And there’s the cockiness I mentioned,” she scoffed. “Of course you would focus on that… Yes. Okay? I admit that you’re handsome. A person would have to be blind not to see it. But you’re also always trying to be smooth, charming everyone in the room. I was just surprised to see a little vulnerability, that’s all.”

His forehead smoothed and he dropped his smirk. “Apologies, Emma,” he said, resting his forearms on his knees and hunching forward. “I don’t like displaying my weaknesses to others.”

She leaned forward and put a hand on his wrist. “It’s not a weakness to admit you’re afraid of something. Quite the opposite, actually.”

He turned his head and gave her a smile. “Well now, aren’t you the optimist?”

“One of my students is writing a paper on toxic masculinity. It’s quite fascinating, actually.”

“I’d imagine so. I am sure I could give her a few anecdotes.” It didn’t escape his notice that her hand was still on his wrist. Her touch burned into his skin, feeding his nerves. He hadn’t lied when he told her was afraid of flying. But the weakness he spoke of was not that. His weakness was his fear of how she would react, seeing him tense up and white-knuckle the armrests on the plane.

He opened his mouth to say something more, when the announcement came that their flight was boarding. Although they would need to wait a few more minutes before their group was called, they both began packing up their backpacks and stood to wait their turn. The moment was over.

* * *

 

Emma stood, unbelieving, at the sight before her.

After their shared moment at the gate, the rest of the journey with Killian had been uncomfortably tense. As soon as they were seated, he made apologies and put in his earbuds. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, but she could still see him holding onto the armrests for dear life during takeoff, landing, and every time they hit a pocket of turbulence. She chose to ignore it and lost herself in her latest novel.

They deplaned and retrieved their baggage without incident. The wait for the shuttle to the hotel was a bit lengthy, but she was so tired and weary at that point that she remained silent. In truth, she’d hardly spoken more than a few words to Killian since before they boarded.

The conference was being held at a remote desert hotel in Nevada. It was one of those over-the-top resorts in the middle of nowhere, and she felt a twisting in her stomach as the shuttle drove up. She would have nowhere to go for the next three days. The resort was huge, and claimed to have everything on site a person could need, but she still didn’t like the idea of being stuck there.

As the room was in her name, Emma handled check-in while Killian waited off to the side. Keys in hand, they walked in silence through the opulent lobby and toward the elevator bank. Everything was fine up to the point when she unlocked the door and entered the room, only to be met with the sight of a  _single_  king-sized bed. She was so shocked she stopped dead in her tracks. Killian, not paying attention, bumped into her back.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, fumbling to step back. When she stayed silent, he put a hand on her shoulder. “Swan?” He still hadn’t caught on, but he saw her staring at the room, mouth agape, and turned his head to see what she was seeing. “Oh…”

“There must be a mistake,” Emma said. “Grab your stuff. We need to go downstairs and get them to switch us to the right room.” She rushed out of the room and down to the elevator, much quicker than her travel-weary body felt like moving. They made the arduous trek downstairs and she marched up to the check-in desk, past a long line of other guests.

“Excuse me,” she said, slamming her fist on the counter. “I think you put us in the wrong room.”

A flustered hotel employee made apologies to the customer in front of her and stepped over. Her name tag read ‘Emily’ and she’d been the one to originally check Emma in. “Miss Swan,” she said, obviously feigning politeness. “What seems to be the issue?”

“I’m supposed to have a room with two queen beds, but the room you put us in has a single king.”

“I’m so sorry. Let me just pull up your reservation.” She typed a few keys and made a few clicks on her computer. “No, I am seeing here that the reservation was made for a single king room. But, I can see if we have anymore double queen rooms available.”

She made a few more keystrokes while Emma breathed a sigh of relief. It didn’t last long, however, as she heard the words she feared most.

“Unfortunately, Miss Swan, we don’t have any other double queen rooms available.”

“Shit,” Emma murmured under her breath. “Could we transfer to another hotel?”

“Um… we don’t have any other properties in the area. You are welcome to cancel your reservation and I can give you directions to the nearest hotel. It’s about 25 miles from here.”

Emma groaned. “No,” she told Emily, “Don’t cancel it.” She didn’t have a car and couldn’t really afford to rent one. Did Uber even come out this way? She turned away from the desk. She was well and truly trapped at this hotel. With Killian. And only one king bed between them.

* * *

 

Killian’s nerves were shot. After spending the entire flight on edge, he was looking forward to a hot shower and a good night’s rest. And now he was looking at three days of sleeping on the floor. He leaned his head back as the elevator ascended.

“What are we supposed to do?” Emma asked, and it was the first thing she’d said to him since she learned they were stuck with this situation.

“Pardon?”

“Oh come on, Killian. The bed situation? Were you paying attention at all?”

“Of course I was. I will take the floor.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she said, fixing him with a hard stare.

They arrived at their floor and stepped off, heading back to their room. “What’s ridiculous?”

“Sleeping on the floor. No one is asking you to do that.”

“Just trying to be a gentleman, love.”

“I don’t need a gentleman, and I’m not your love. And don’t make yourself a martyr in the name of being gentlemanly. It’s a king-sized bed. I’m sure we can work out a way to both sleep on it without encroaching in one another’s space.”

Killian wasn’t so sure, but he bit his tongue. He was worried about laying next to Emma. Smelling her scent so close to him. Having her tantalizing curves within arm’s reach. He flushed with embarrassment just thinking of how his body might react, to say nothing of the dreams he was sure to have.

They stopped at the door to their room and she unlocked it, leading the way back inside. Throwing her suitcase next to the desk, she toed off her shoes and collapsed on the bed.

She sighed in contentment, the soft breath only further fueling his desire. Settling his luggage near the closet, he escaped to the bathroom.

He splashed cold water on his face and adjusted his pants. He needed to get a grip on his emotions. When he felt satisfied he’d calmed down enough, he stepped back into the room.

“So, what shall we do for dinner? The conference doesn’t start until tomorrow morning.”

“What do they have here? I’m probably gonna max out my credit card on food alone.”

“They are supposed to have a food court with some reasonably priced options. And we can charge our meals to the room.”

She sat up and looked at him. “Good point. Let’s head down there. It’s a bit early for dinner local time, but it’s three hours later back home, and I’m starving.”

They headed down to the food court, which was actually a buffet. After the waiter delivered their plates and took drink orders, they walked up to view the fare. Everything a person could want to eat was on display. Emma had a hard time choosing, until she caught whiff of the tray of lasagna being placed out, and her stomach grumbled, making her decision for her.

She loaded up her plate with a healthy portion along with a small salad and garlic bread. Killian had a rather nice looking piece of salmon, along with some fancy broccoli and roasted potatoes. Looking at his plate seemed to give her a bit of buyer’s remorse.

“That salmon looks delicious,” she said before she could stop herself.

“Would you like a bite?” he asked, holding up his fork.

He saw her blush. Did she think he was he going to try and feed her? “Um…, sure.” She watched him warily as he loaded up a generous bite to his fork and then leaned over the table, placing the tip of his fork on the edge of her plate. It took her a moment to catch on. She reached over with her own fork and liberated the salmon from his. She appeared relieved, but also a little let down. That confused him. She was disappointed he didn’t want to feed her?

She took a bite of the salmon, closing her eyes as she finished chewing and releasing a moan of pleasure. When she opened her eyes, Killian was staring at her, his mouth agape.

“Killian?” she asked when he didn’t say anything.

He shook his head and snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry.” He flushed and reached up to scratch behind his ear.

After dinner they grabbed a drink in the hotel bar before heading to the little on-site market and stocking up on some things for the room before they headed back upstairs. Killian included a six-pack of beer in their provisions.

They stayed up talking for a while and drinking the beers. Finally, the long day caught up with Emma and she yawned loudly.

“Alright, Swan,” he said, leaning over to touch her arm. “I think it’s time for bed.”

She swatted his hand away like a petulant teenager. “Don’t you tell me what to do,” she said as she yawned once more. Despite her protests, she got up and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

When she emerged, she was wearing oversized flannel pajamas and fanning herself as if she felt overheated. She settled down on the left side of the bed, building a barrier between them with a few of the excess pillows.

Killian got up and proceeded with his own nighttime routine before emerging from the bathroom in sleep pants and a t-shirt. Before laying down, he went to window and closed the curtain. It got stuck, and he reached up to dislodge it. In that short moment his shirt rode up and he heard Emma gasp. He looked down to see his pants were riding low his hips, displaying the trail of hair that disappeared below the waistband. He blushed and tugged the hem of his shirt down as he walked to the bed and settled on his side. Emma bit her lips and fluffed the pillows of the barrier. Killian sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

He was slowly roused from sleep by the beeping of the alarm on his phone. After the exhaustion and stress of the prior day, he had a hard time opening his eyes. The hotel bed felt strange, the blanket heavy on his chest.

He pried open one eye to see a golden head of hair. So… it was  _not_  the blanket. It was Emma. He willed his heart to stay calm as he reached over with his right hand to grab his phone. He was just able to reach it and silence the alarm without disturbing her. After the noise was quieted, he looked down once again. She was tucked into his side, her head perched just below his left pec and her arm thrown across his waist. Being buried under her body, his left arm was numb, indicating they’d been in this position for some time. He kept his breathing shallow, hoping to avoid disturbing her, and inhaled her scent, a light perfume that he could not liken to any particular fragrance, although he did catch notes of vanilla and cinnamon.

He had to bite his tongue to discourage himself from craning his neck down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He would give anything to have this be their reality. To go to bed with this goddess at his side every night and wake up every morning just like this.

She must have sensed the tension in his body, and began to stir. He took a quiet moment to commit this scene to memory and braced himself for her inevitable shock. Her hand moved first, sliding downward and perilously close to the bulge just below his waistband.  _Shit,_  he thought. He’d been so focused on her that he’d not even noticed his hardness. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake like this, but it certainly felt a bit more intense today.

She flexed her fingers and her pinky just managed to graze the tip of his member. He bit his lip to stifle a moan and decided he needed to extricate himself. Moving his feet first, he managed to slide out from under her without her waking. He made a hasty retreat to the bathroom to try and calm himself before she woke.

* * *

 

Emma woke enveloped in a scent she could not place, although it was slightly soft and a bit masculine and smelled a little like… leather. Her eyes flew open, and she breathed a sigh of relief to find that she was alone in the bed. The barrier of pillows were pushed to the foot of the bed, and she somehow had migrated to the center of the mattress, her head resting on the spot where Killian must have been a moment ago.  _Thank God_ , she thought. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she woke and found them in a more intimate position. She closed her eyes and took a moment to revel in the scent before rolling back over to the left side of the bed, sitting up and propping her body against the headboard.

Killian stepped out of the bathroom a while later with wet hair, but dressed for the day in a dark blue button down, grey trousers, and a matching waistcoat. She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was going to wear a three piece suit today. She’d never seen him so well-dressed. She wasn’t sure she would be able to handle it.

“Morning Love,” he said when he saw her.

Needing to take back some control, Emma scowled at him. “Not your love.”

He flushed, and damn if her first thought wasn’t  _he’s adorable_. She bit her tongue and threw off the covers angrily, grabbing her things from her suitcase and retreating to the bathroom to get herself ready.

She hurriedly undressed and hopped in the shower, somehow feeling that Killian could see her nudity even through the closed door. She had a fleeting thought of walking out of the bathroom naked and presenting herself to him. What would he do, she wondered? She wasn’t dumb. She’d noticed how he flirted with her. And she wasn’t blind. She knew how attractive he was. She just also knew that attractive, charming men were always trouble. She’d already been burned by her last boyfriend, Neal, during her undergraduate years. She was not willing to put her future in jeopardy for just another pretty face, no matter how pretty it was.

After she was ready, she and Killian headed downstairs to the conference. The event was providing breakfast and lunch. She piled a few pastries and some fruit on a plate and prepared herself a cup of coffee. They took seats in the rows of chairs set before the stage and settled in for the opening session.

Once the conference began, they were in full student mode. After the opening session, they split up, each wanting to attend different talks. They were not presenting that day, and were therefore free to explore the conference. Emma did not see Killian again until the evening social hour, after all the day’s sessions had ended. She walked into the ballroom where the morning session had been held. It was now converted to a dining space, with round tables set out, a small dance area, and a few bar stations lining the periphery. Emma scanned the room and was just about to head to an empty table when she saw his dark head of hair. Their eyes met and he raised his hand and waved her over.

She walked over to him and was once again struck by how attractive he was. He’d shed his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. He’d also removed his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt a bit, exposing just a peek of curly, dark chest hair. He looked delectable.

“Swan! I’ve placed my things just over there,” he said, pointing to a table nearby.” He held a bottle of beer in one hand, and he reached out to hug her with the other.

She pulled back from the hug and gave him a tight smile. “Let me just go put my bag down and get a drink.” Thankfully, the line for drinks wasn’t too long, and she was able to procure a glass of white wine without too much trouble.

When she returned, Killian was not alone. He was standing next to a gorgeous woman with smooth, perfect skin, dark curly hair, and deep brown eyes. “Emma!” he said when she approached. “This is Sabine,” he said as he pointed to his companion. “She and I attended a few of the same sessions today. She’s in the program at Hyperion University.”

“Emma. So nice to meet you.” Sabine smiled as she took Emma’s outstretched hand. Her smile was warm and inviting. She looked like the kind of person everyone wanted to be friends with.

“Likewise,” Emma said, probably a moment or two late.

Killian smiled between the two women. “So, how were your sessions today?”

Emma fidgeted a little. “Um, they were good. Yeah. You know I’m most interested in the corporate applications, and I learned some really interesting new theories today.”

They continued their “shop talk” for a while. The more Sabine spoke, the more Emma liked her, although she couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy she felt every time Killian gave the other woman a smile. Killian was obviously enamored of the other woman. Emma’s thoughts kept traveling back to her unacknowledged feelings toward Killian. What would she do if Killian ended up with someone else? On the plus side, it might mean she’d have the bed to herself that night. On the down side, it might mean she’d have the bed to herself that night because Killian would be in Sabine’s bed.

She felt the bile rise in her throat and decided she’d had enough socializing for the night. “I’m gonna head upstairs,” she said to Killian, not giving him a chance to respond. “It was nice meeting you, Sabine.”

“You too. Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Emma turned and headed to retrieve her things, placing her empty wine glass on the table. She was gathering everything up when Killian stopped her.

“Swan? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, a little too quickly. She took a deep breath. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Well, why don’t we grab a pizza for dinner? There’s an Italian restaurant near the market. We can head upstairs and practice the presentation.”

She gave him a half smile. “That’s nice, but I think I’ll be okay. You can go have dinner with Sabine. Enjoy yourself.”

“Why would you think I’m having dinner with Sabine?”

“Well… I mean… just look at her! She’s stunning. I don’t blame you for wanting to spend some time with her. I can fend for myself.”

“Emma, I have no plans to dine with Sabine. We were just talking. We have a lot of the same research interests, but that’s as far as my feelings toward her go. She’s married, anyway. Didn’t you see the rings on her left hand?”

“Oh…” Emma replied. “But I thought you… and she…”

“Swan,” Killian said, a grin breaking out on his face. “Were you jealous?”

“What? No!”

He couldn’t stop his glee. “You were!” He schooled his features and then looked at her with heavy-lidded eyes. “Is there something you want to tell me, darling?”

“Oh will you stop that?!” Emma huffed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She stomped toward the exit and headed back up to their hotel room.

* * *

 

Killian chose to refrain from any further teasing of Emma, despite his ardent desire to see the beautiful flush on her cheeks once more. As he’d suggested, they grabbed a pizza (and some beer) from the market and headed up to their room. They rehearsed their slides several times, and then took turns coming up with possible questions the audience might ask. After a while, they cracked open the beers, and as they relaxed they started to come up with ever more ridiculous questions.

The beers went quickly. When they were gone, Emma lamented the lack of alcohol but seemed reluctant to leave the room. Killian blushed a little and reached into his suitcase, producing the bottle of rum he’d stashed there.

“Do I want to know why you have rum in your luggage?” Emma asked skeptically as he handed her the unopened bottle.

“I bought it thinking we could use it for a toast tomorrow. To celebrate a job well done.”

She looked touched at his admission. “Well, we can’t drink it yet. We don’t want to jinx ourselves.” She handed the bottle back to him.

“Well, then I guess we will need to refrain from imbibing for the remainder of the evening.” He replaced the bottle in his suitcase.

Emma leaned over the arm of the chair she was occupying. She’d folded herself up into it, her feet planted on the seat and her knees hugged into her chest. She unraveled herself as she stared him down. “Why do you talk like that?”

“Like what, lo- erhm… like what?”

She raised her eyebrow when he started to speak his common endearment, but seemed pleased he’d caught himself. He couldn’t stop the thrill that ran through him at her approval. “You know what I mean.” She leaned over more, and he felt his ears turn red as he tried to avoid looking at the generous view of cleavage her new position afforded him.

He suddenly found the pattern of the carpet fascinating, and reached up to scratch behind his ear as he answered her. “I worked hard to cultivate an extensive vocabulary. I like to make use of it whenever I can.”

“But you it makes you sound like a walking thesaurus! Honestly, you’d seem like a pompous ass except that everything else about you is so ador-” She stopped herself.

His head snapped up as he heard her. “Everything else about me is so… what?” He felt he probably should have been smirking as he asked her that, but all he could do is stare at her with wide-eyed wonder. Could it be possible that Emma returned his regard? She’d always been so standoffish with him. He’d assumed it was because she didn’t like him. Could it all be an act?

It was her turn to be fascinated with the carpet, but he saw a slight tinge of red creeping up her cheeks. She didn’t answer him but instead slowly turned her body away from him. Abruptly, she stood from the chair and walked to the restroom. She stopped at the door and looked at him. “I think I should get ready for bed. Early day tomorrow, and all…” She disappeared into the restroom. Recognizing her embarrassment, Killian grabbed his wallet and headed down to the hotel bar. When he returned to the room later, she was asleep.

* * *

 

It was still dark outside when Emma woke the next morning. She hated when that happened. Once she was up, she was up. There was no chance of getting back to sleep. Still, she stubbornly refused to open her eyes, hoping she could trick herself into falling back asleep. She’d not slept well the night before. After she narrowly avoided confessing all her forbidden feelings to Killian, she’d lain awake in the bed for hours. He’d come back about two hours after her escape to the bathroom. She pretended to sleep at the time, hoping to delay the inevitable. In reality it took forever for her to fall asleep, and now she really didn’t want to move from this warm, cozy bed. She snuggled tighter to the pillow she was holding, surprised at how firm it was. She remembered remarking the day before that the pillows were too soft for her tastes.

At that thought, the fog of sleep slowly lifted. She realized that she was not clinging to one of the pillows set up as a barrier between her and Killian the night before. No. She was clinging to the man himself. And damn but it felt  _good_. He was warm and his body was both muscular and still somehow soft. She did not want to move from her spot, thought she knew she had to. She only prayed he wasn’t awake to realize her position yet. She unwillingly pried her eyes open and lifted her head to look at him. He was still peacefully asleep. She lifted the rest of her body off his chest, but paused for a moment to observe him fully.

He looked younger in his sleep. His brow was often furrowed in his waking hours, but it was smooth now. Despite the ridiculously sexy scruff he wore, his face looked almost angelic. He had deep-set eyes with long lashes that feathered against the apples of his sharp cheekbones. His eyebrows were so well shaped that she idly wondered if he got them waxed. And his lips looked so soft. Her mind wandered from thoughts of his grooming regimen to questions of how those lips might feel against her own. Or kissing down her neck. How the scruff might feel scraping across her skin as his lips danced to her pulse point. How his rough, pink tongue might feel, playing against the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

She hadn’t realized her eyes had closed again until she felt herself exhale slowly. She snapped them open and bit her lip. She needed to expel some of this pent up energy. She lept out of bed and ran to her suitcase, thanking herself for having the foresight to pack some workout clothes. If she couldn’t keep her mind from straying to thoughts of Killian, then she would wear down her body so at the very least she couldn’t act on them. She stepped into the bathroom and dressed quickly, and then sped out of the room and toward the fitness center.

* * *

 

When Killian woke up, he was surrounded by Emma’s scent, but the lady herself was nowhere to be found. He was surprised to see she was awake, given the early hour. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. After a few moments of lazing in bed, he finally decided to get up. He had enough time for a quick run before he needed to start getting ready for the day.

He dressed quickly and grabbed his phone and ear buds, heading down to the fitness center. He would have preferred a morning run outdoors, taking in the beautiful desert scenery, but he was afraid of losing track of time and decided instead to take a run on the treadmill. Using his key, he opened the door and stepped inside. It was a decently sized room, equipped with several treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes, along with a corner featuring several free weights and an exercise mat. He stepped over to the mat area and began stretching, doing a few kettlebell exercises.

Once he felt limber enough, he headed over to the exercise machines, only then taking notice of the beautiful blonde running at a fast clip on the treadmill farthest to the left. It was Emma. She was fully immersed in whatever she was listening to and hadn’t yet noticed him. No one else was in the room, so he indulged himself in a moment of watching her. She was breathtaking. Her body moved with effortless grace. Her muscles were strong, her form elegant as she took firm strides. He was mesmerized by her, but he felt too much like a voyeur, so he stepped up to the treadmill to start his own run.

She looked up when she noticed him and smiled, but she was definitely holding back. He replied with his own tight smile and started the machine, gradually increasing his speed.

“Hey,” she said, taking one earbud out. As his speed increased, hers began to decrease.

“Morning,” he replied.

“You ready for today?”

“Aye.”

“Good,” she said, stopping her run.

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving. He was saved from staring at her awkwardly by his continued pace on his treadmill, but he couldn’t help noticing from the corner of his eye.

They were silent for a moment, the room filled with only the sound of Killian’s running. “Okay,” she said after a moment longer. “I’m gonna head upstairs and get ready. I’ll meet you in the ballroom for coffee and today’s opening session.”

“Sounds good lass, see you there.”

She left the room, and Killian felt like a fool. He continued his run, trying to expel some of his nervous energy and mentally prepare for the day.

* * *

 

Emma was in her zone. After her awkward start that morning, she’d been crushing it at the conference. Their presentation wasn’t until the afternoon, but she felt like she’d done some great networking and had more than a few contacts to follow up with after she got home. The morning had filled her with confidence that she hoped she could maintain for the session later that day.

She and Killian had separated again in the morning, but they reconvened at lunch. After both quickly eating the box lunch the conference provided, they sat down one more time to review their slides. Although there were a few butterflies in Emma’s stomach, she felt ready.

“We’ve got this,” she said with a smile.

“Aye,” Killian replied, giving her one of his brilliant smiles in return.

The hour came, and they headed to the room they were presenting in. After some quick AV setup, they settled at a table in the front of the room and waited for attendees to arrive. The room filled up quickly, which both excited and frightened Emma. But once she got going, her nerves faded away. She and Killian made a great team, easily transitioning between sections of the presentation. When it came time for the Q&A, they each answered an equal amount of questions, and the attendees seemed satisfied with their responses.

As quickly as it began, it was over, and Emma felt an enormous sense of pride. They were the last session for the day in that room, so they took their time packing up, answering a few one-on-one questions from some lingering audience members. The last in the room with this was an older man with Sandy blonde hair that was just greying at the temples.

“Miss Swan, Mr. Jones,” he said, shaking each of their hands. “Excellent work. I look forward to reading the piece in full once it is published.”

“Oh, thank you,” Emma replied. “It hasn’t been accepted for publication yet, but we have high hopes.”

“Which journals have you submitted to?”

She told him the names of the journals.

“Did you say one of them was the Journal of Applied Psychology in Business?”

“I did.”

“I’m on the board of that journal. I will definitely reach out to my colleagues and see if we can do something to move the process forward. This research deserves to be shared widely.”

“Thank you!” she said, giving him a broad smile.

“Yes,” Killian agreed, “thank you very much, Dr… ?”

“Oh, forgive me, Dr. Hodges with the Wharton School.” He handed them each a copy of his business card.

“Dr. Hodges?” Emma replied. “I’m a fan of your work! There are more than a few references to some of your studies in our paper.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad to hear someone reads my research.” He looked at his wrist and noted the time. “I must be going, but please do reach out to me about the article. Also, we have a few post doctoral fellowships each year. You may want to consider applying for one. We’d be lucky to have either of you in our program.”

“We will, thank you,” Killian replied.

Dr. Hodges left the room and Emma turned to Killian, throwing her arms around his neck. “We’re gonna be published!” she squealed.

“That we are!” He laughed and wrapped his arms around her lower back, picking her a few inches of the ground.

She lost herself in the euphoria of the moment. His arms felt so good around her, and he smelled incredible. He lowered her back to the ground, but kept his arms around her. She slid her hands down his shoulders to rest on his chest. Their gazes met. His eyes were so beautifully blue. He looked at her with admiration and respect and something else that was both heated and sweet simultaneously. Without letting herself think too much, Emma reached up and grabbed the lapels of his suit coat, bringing his lips down to meet her own.

He melted into the kiss, his hands moving across her back to hold her more tightly, forcing their bodies flush. She wound one of her hands back up his neck, her fingers sliding through the short hairs on the back of his head. He swiped his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and she opened for him. His tongue delved in further, tangling with her own. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, lightly nipping his lower lip. The only sounds she heard were their breaths, short gasps of air inhaled between touches and exhales forced out as their noses pressed into one another’s cheeks. Finally, her lungs began screaming for air and she pulled her mouth away, resting her forehead against his.

The both panted heavily for a moment, Emma still holding tight to his lapels.

“That was…” Killian began.

Emma panicked. She couldn’t do this. How had she let this happen? She let go of his coat and gently pushed him away. She looked up to meet his eyes, his pupils blown wide. He looked absolutely wrecked, and part of her wanted to jump his bones right there. She ignored that urge and took a deep breath, giving him a hard stare.

“That was a one time thing.” She grabbed her bag and slid it over her shoulder. “I’m going for a walk. Don’t follow me.”

As she walked out of the room, she heard him respond in a near whisper. “As you wish.”

* * *

 

Emma walked around the ground floor of the hotel until her feet started to protest. That hadn’t been the smartest idea, taking a walk in heels. Afraid to go back up to the room, she stopped by a small clothing store (seriously, this hotel did have everything) and bought a pair of flip flops. She shoved her heels in her bag and resumed her stroll. She went outside for a short jaunt, but the desert sun was still warm and the air was dry. She knew it would cool off soon enough, but it was still quite unbearable at the moment.

She’d hoped the walk would help her sort out her feelings, but they seemed just as jumbled as before. Sure, she’d always found Killian to be attractive. Who wouldn’t? But he was such a player. He flirted with everyone, men and women alike. But flirting seemed to be as far as he went. She tried to think back to all the people he’d dated since she knew him and couldn’t name one.

She thought about other things she knew about Killian. Yes, he was a shameless flirt, but he was also one of the most supportive people she knew. On more than a few occasions, he’d given her a pep talk when she felt overwhelmed with all her commitments. She recalled vividly studying for a statistics test with him, and lamenting her poor math skills. He’d spent a half an hour convincing her that she wasn’t as bad at stats as she claimed to be. She’d aced that test with his help.

He was kind to others as well. She knew he volunteered with the Big Brother, Big Sister program and had a 12 year old boy, Henry, that he mentored. Emma had met Henry on a few occasions and really liked him. And the boy seemed to adore Killian.

Killian was a great guy. Why was she so opposed to dating him?

_Well,_  she thought,  _for one thing we see each other almost daily_.  _What if we date and things go south? We’d still be stuck seeing one another, now with the added pressure of heartbreak_. And speaking of heartbreak, what if he did her like Neal? But she immediately dismissed that thought. She knew without a doubt that Killian would never try to harm her, physically, emotionally, or professionally. He liked to put on a tough exterior, but she saw through the facade, at least when it came to his integrity.

She stopped and sat on a couch in an out of the way corner and rested her legs. She was a social scientist, and there was very little evidence to support her initial theory of Killian Jones. Why couldn’t she give him a try?

_Because emotions aren’t logical,_  her inner voice replied. She was scared. The thought of getting involved with Killian scared her senseless. But it was much easier to keep him at arm’s length before she kissed him. Things were different now. That kiss was earth-shattering, world-rocking, and all the other cliches she could think of. And reliving it now made her want one thing above all others. She wanted to kiss Killian Jones again. She stood up and ran to the elevator, hoping against hope that he was in their room.

* * *

 

Killian sat in the hotel room, reading a book in the wildly uncomfortable armchair. Emma had asked for space, and he’d granted it, but he wished she would return to the room so they could talk.

As if by magic, he heard the electronic lock on the door whir to life, and a moment later it cracked open as she stepped inside. She dropped her bag by her suitcase and walked toward him. He noticed she’d ditched her high heels in favor of flip flops.

When she reached his chair, she stopped and crossed an arm over her chest, wrapping her hand around her bicep. She lifted her head and met his eyes with a contrite gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I got scared.”

“Lass, you don’t need to apologize…” he began, but she cut him off.

“Yes, I do. I don’t date much. I don’t let people get too close.” She dropped her head before continuing. “I had my heart broken when I was 20. My boyfriend at the time set me up to take the fall for a grade-fixing operation he was running. I got lucky and was cleared of the charges, but not before he’d thrown me completely under the bus. He was the first guy I ever really loved, and he stomped all over my heart. I’ve been afraid to trust anyone ever since.”

He looked at her, and she lifted her head to meet his eyes once more. He tried his best to show her with his gaze that he understood. She walked over to the desk chair and rolled it closer before sitting down and facing him. She looked frightened, eyes wide and lower lip quivering. He knew her thoughts. She was vulnerable. He wanted to open up to her, to reciprocate and expose his raw emotions as well.

“I too have a tale of heartbreak,” he began as he gently took her hand in his own. “During my undergraduate career, I got involved with a professor. Milah. She was beautiful, lively, a joy to be around. One of the most passionate women I’ve ever known. We were together for a year, and I cherished every moment. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she had a heart attack and died.”

Emma squeezed his hand. “Killian, I’m so sorry.”

He nodded in response, feeling tears sting the back of his eyes. Clearing his throat, he continued. “She had a husband. When I tried to attend the funeral, he turned me away. He said her death was my fault and I had ruined his family. I was put on academic probation and ended up switching majors to get away from Mr. Gold. I felt wretched. I was alone, and I wasn’t even allowed to properly mourn her.”

“Did you love her?”

“I think so? I don’t know how much of it was love and how much was infatuation, but she was a big part of my life, and I felt empty without her. I never thought I would move on from her. But, from the first time we met, I have been fascinated with you. I never thought I had a chance with you, but these last few days, and… that kiss… they’ve given me hope.”

“Me too,” she whispered.

“What do we do now?” he asked, willing her to take the lead.

Emma stood up and re-positioned herself, perching on his lap and draping her arms around his neck. “First,” she said as she leaned in, “I want another.” She closed the distance and captured his mouth in another heated kiss. Their first kiss had been frantic, his mind unbelieving his luck while his body tried to take in as much of the moment as possible. This kiss, their second, could not be more different. They moved slowly, as she captured his upper lip between both of hers and sucked gently. He moaned and lifted his arm to tangle in her hair. She reciprocated by bringing her hands to his shoulders and pushing back against the chair, moving her legs to straddle his lap. They stayed like that for as long as possible, lips and hands battling for dominance while she writhed in his lap. He brought his arms lower, rubbing along her lower back.

When they pulled away a few minutes later, both gasping for air, she chuckled against his mouth.

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Do you still have that rum?”

He smiled against her lips. “Aye, that I do.”

She stood up and and motioned toward their suitcases. “Why don’t you go get it? We can have our celebratory drink now.”

He smiled at her. “Gladly, milady, but you’ll need to give me a minute.” He motioned to his crotch, where a very prominent bulge stood out. She stood and stared at him, biting her lip as she took him in. He was sure he looked as wrecked as she did, lips kiss-swollen, hair mussed, and clothing askew. After a moment, she bent down again and placed her hands on the armrests of the chair, hovering over him and giving him a generous view of her cleavage. 

“Well,” she finally said, her voice a breathy whisper, “maybe we should take care of that before we have that drink.”

She leaned forward and took his lips in her own once more, spurring him to action. He stood and wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing her back toward the bed. When her legs hit the edge of the mattress, she sat and crawled back toward the headboard. He followed her, transfixed.

Once she settled on the pillows, he hovered over her. “Are you sure, Emma?” He looked at her with hopeful eyes. He would never wish to push her, but he truly hoped she wouldn’t turn away now.

“I’m sure,” she said with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body flush to hers, kissing him greedily.

What followed was one of the most incredible experiences of Killian’s life. Emma was as passionate in bed as she was in every other aspect of her life. When it was all over, they found themselves in what had become a familiar position, Killian laying on his back with Emma snuggled into his side, pillowing her head on his chest. She sighed and ran her fingers through his chest hair, scratching gently.

“Emma,” he said as gently threaded his fingers through her hair.

“Hm?” she asked, not lifting her head.

“When we get back home, will you go out with me? On a date?”

She looked up at him then, giving him a playful smirk. “We probably should have done that before we did this, huh?” She gestured to their naked bodies, currently intertwined.

He quirked his eyebrow in reply. “Are you saying you regret this?”

Her smirk expanded to a full-blow smile. “Not in the least. Just observing that we sort of took things out of order.”

“Perhaps,” he replied, returning her smile. He slid his hand to grip the firm globe of her ass. “But there is something to be said for taking things out of order.”

She slid her body up and captured his mouth once again. When they broke for air she rested her forehead against his own. “Why wait until we get home? Why don’t we get dressed and head downstairs and have our first date right now?”

He planted a chaste kiss on her lips. “I knew you were much smarter than me, love, but I never realized how much until now.”

She giggled and climbed out of bed, standing at the edge and extending her hand to him. “Want to take a shower with me first?”

He took in her beautifully seductive form. “Well, as long as I won’t make you late for your date.”

Emma cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. “Hm… I think he’ll understand if I run a bit behind. Especially if I tell him the reason was my being ravished by a devilishly handsome pirate.”

Killian bounded out of bed at her words and gripped her waist. “You are a bloody temptress, Swan.”

She pressed into his chest and looked up at him with hooded eyes. “Was that a complaint, pirate?”

He smiled in reply. “Not in the least.”

* * *

 

When they returned home, Killian and Emma were inseparable. They spent most of their free time together, and also found themselves seeking one another out quite often on campus. There were many stolen moments in darkened classrooms. It wasn’t long before everyone in their program knew they were together. Fortunately, their professors and peers seemed more pleased than anything else. There were more than a few choruses of “it’s about time.”

One day, when Emma was teaching, Killian visited Johanna to reserve a research lab. After she completed the reservation, she smiled up at him warmly.

“It’s good to see you and Emma so happy.”

“Aye. Thank you. It was certainly unexpected, but very welcome. So many circumstances seemed to come together to give us this chance.”

“Like what?”

“Well, if Regina hadn’t contracted the flu, then I wouldn’t have been able to go to the conference. And then there was the mix up with our hotel room.”

“What mix up?” Johanna’s forehead creased. She took pride in her work and hated to hear something went wrong.

“Well, we were supposed to be in a room with two beds, but when we got there we were put in a room with a single bed. Who knows what would have happened had we not been forced together like that? I think it made us both confront feelings we were trying to deny.”

Johanna sighed in relief. “Oh, that wasn’t a mix up. I changed the reservation when I changed Regina’s flight to be in your name.”

Killian’s eyes went wide. “You what?”

The older woman smiled at him in return. “Oh don’t be like that, dear. You and Emma were on a collision course. I just helped speed things up.”

He looked at her sheepishly, scratching behind his ear. “Perhaps we shouldn’t tell Emma this. At least not right away.”

“You’re probably right, dear. Just make sure to send me an invite to the wedding. We can tell her then.”

Killian smirked. “Aye, good plan, milady.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked the story, please consider leaving me a comment. You can also come say hi over on Tumblr @branlovesouat. Thanks for reading!


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